The
Best of Both Worlds
A photographic exploration of Valentines Day weddings in Las Vegas

by Sean Cayton
Freelance Photographer

I live and work with my photographic feet planted in two different
worlds.
I have trained and worked as a news photographer for the past
10 years. And I’m currently a contract photographer
for a local news weekly, still shooting local assignments
and pursuing my own
self-assigned projects.

But I also own and operate a photography business that is focused
on weddings. I started this business three years ago and it continues
to grow and has become a real success story in my life.

In each of these areas, I have learned there is a distinct photographic
approach and that documentary photography (which is what I’m
trained to do) and weddings don’t always mix.

During
weddings, I’m often expected to be a director and choreographer
of photography.

At the same time, my strongest images always happen in the spaces between the
choreography and the group photographs I’m asked to take. These are the
images that couples hire me for.

Right now is a slow time of year for wedding work. So Kent Meireis, a friend
and colleague, and I dreamed up a project that would keep us busy and excited
about our craft.

The idea was to visually explore Las Vegas wedding chapels and to try and photograph
a 24-hour extravaganza of wedding ceremonies on the strip during Valentines Day.

There are thousands of
weddings in Vegas on Valentines Day and they start at midnight.
Unlike many of my commissioned wedding
jobs, the
scenes are unusual, the people are interesting and every 15-20
minutes there is another wedding.

As an added benefit, I had the freedom to explore a few dozen wedding
ceremonies without being expected to choreograph, direct or
take group photo.

Couples
come to Vegas to be married for all sorts of reasons. The cost
of a wedding ceremony is usually less expensive than a more
traditional location. The wedding and honeymoon can also happen
in the same place. The couples being married have a variety
of backgrounds, which often makes the idea of a Vegas wedding
more convenient.

While
the couples come from all over the world to be married, the
ceremonies themselves are unique. There is a drive-thru wedding
ceremony. There is the ceremony officiated by Elvis. And there
are host of ways to be married, in a helicopter, for instance.

Two doors
down is the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel. Its known best for
its themed weddings including ceremonies performed by Elvis
and its internet broadcasts of wedding ceremonies at www.vivalasvegasweddings.com.

At midnight on Valentines
Day the flood of weddings began.

There was the couple from Brownsfield, Texas who spoke only Spanish. Then it
was the Detroit police officer who met his fiancé during a traffic
stop. Then it was a couple, both in their 70’s, who decided to marry
after 30 years of knowing one another.

For 24-hours, the ceremonies, the couples and their stories didn’t stop.
We left Vegas exhausted and exhilarated. We were excited about the pictures we
made and the promise of continuing our project beyond Valentines Day.